The varieties include rice, cotton, maize, sorghum and bajra
The Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has developed and recommended eight new varieties of rice, cotton, maize, mash and fodder for general cultivation in Punjab. These include PR 131 and PR 130 of rice, PAU Bt 2 and PAU Bt 3 of cotton, Punjab Baby Corn 1 of maize, Mash 883 of mash, SL 45 of fodder (sorghum) and PCB 166 of fodder (bajra). The varieties were approved after thorough discussion during the State Variety Approval Committee meeting for field crops, held under the chairmanship of Dr Gurvinder Singh, Director of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Punjab. Dr AS Dhatt, Director of Research and Dr Ashok Kumar, Director of Extension Education, PAU, also attended the meeting.
PR 131 (on adhoc basis) of rice is a high yielding, medium maturing and lodging tolerant variety. PR 130 of rice is a high yielding, mid-early and lodging tolerant variety. PAU Bt 2 is a Bt cotton variety developed by the public sector with inbuilt resistance against spotted and American bollworms. PAU Bt 3 is also a Bt cotton variety developed by the public sector with inbuilt resistance against spotted and American bollworms. Punjab Baby Corn 1 of maize is a single cross hybrid that is male sterile, having medium-tall plants. Mash 883 of mash has been recommended for the whole of Punjab state. Its plants are dwarf, erect and compact with determinate growth habits. SL 45 of sorghum is a single cut late maturing variety having tall (297cm) plants with long and broad leaves. Its stem is juicy and sweet. PCB 166 of bajra is a dual purpose composite variety with more number of tillers.
